Reminder of the Heart: A Detective's Case - Chapter 8

Sorry for everyone reading! I know this took too long but had major writer's block! Plus, I was doing other things... XD So, here's Chapter 8... ENJOY!

The next day, Jun talked to the apartment manager and explained he’ll be moving in with the client. He understood and let him be for the whole day. Jun moved in all his things while Mao was in school for less distraction. Still, while he was moving in, he was double checking every door frame and floor piece of the apartment to make sure there were no devices. The bomb from yesterday made him think on his feet quicker than before, and he wanted to be prepared. By 4pm, he was done since he only brought some things from his other apartment. He sat on the couch, exhausted. His cell rang which startled him and checked the caller ID. A smile appeared on his face by who was calling.
“Hello?” He answered.
“Hi! Did you get everything in my apartment?” Mao asked as she sat on a bench outside her school.
“Yes. I’m really tired now.” He looked over to the side.
“I see. Well, I don’t want to bother you to walk me home if you’re exhausted.” Mao thought she could get him something to eat on the way back.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I owe you dinner then.” Jun sat up quickly.
“Oooo…. I’d be up for that. Well, I’ll be there in an hour there.” She started walking anyways.
“Mao-chan?”
“Yes?” Mao never thought Jun would call her ‘Mao-chan’, but it made her happy.
“Could I use your shower?” He didn’t realize he called her the nickname.
“Well, you’re living there now. You can because I don’t want to come home to stinky cop.” She chuckled.
“It’s detective by the way. Thank you. Well, I will see you back here.” Jun smirked.
“Of course. Have a good shower, ne!”
They both hung up, and Jun placed his cell phone on the table. He got up from the couch and grabbed his towel and shower items.

An hour passes by…. 

Mao comes home and doesn’t see Jun. She heard the shower door close and smiled. ~ Hhhmmm… he was in the shower that long? ~ She waited on the couch and played with his cell phone. Jun comes out of the bathroom in a towel since his clean clothes were in his bag. He was drying his hair with the towel. He doesn’t notice Mao staring at him at all. Her face is red as a tomato and turns back around quietly. ~ I didn’t know he was that good looking with a nice body. Ack… ~ Jun sits on the ground, looking at his bag and then gets this weird feeling someone is staring. He turns his head slightly and sees Mao covering her eyes with her hands.
“When did you get in?” He arched a brow.
“Just a minute ago.” She gulped.
“You’ve never seen a real shirtless guy, huh?” Jun still sits there, holding his clothes. She shook her head. “Well, I’m going to get clothes on. So, calm down.” He gets up quickly and runs to the bathroom. She wanted to squeal because Jun was not just handsome…. he was gorgeous. Under his clothing, he hid his muscles and toned stomach. She checked if he completely left the room and puts her hands down. ~ Nice going, Mao. You really are acting mature! ~ She picked a pillow and whacked herself on the head. Since Jun said he owed her dinner, she waited there, looking at his bags and equipment. There were a lot of devices she recognized. Being somewhat of a techie, she decided to setup Jun’s laptop. It was sophisticated and light. Jun came out, fully dressed and watched Mao setup. He was wondering why she would do.

“Damn. It’s password protected.” Mao sat there and thought of what might be a possible password. Jun leaned against the door frame and arched a brow. ~ What she up to? ~ She tried a couple things around to give her an idea. Access denied. Then, she used Yukie’s name, and the laptop started up.
Jun’s eyes widened, “What are you doing?”
Mao cringed and turned around slowly, “I was setting up your laptop for you.”
“My next question is why…” Jun then sat next to her.
“Well, I..uh…” She couldn’t think of a good answer.
“No one could crack the password.” Then he thought about it, “Did someone tell you about my former girlfriend?”
“Uh… yes..” She confessed.
“How much of the story?” He opened up a program and checked if the wireless internet was working.
“Everything….” She looked at him sadly.
“You researched me, didn’t you?” Jun wasn’t surprised.
“Yes.” She didn’t say more. Then, there was awkward silence. Jun didn’t want to speak. Mao didn’t know what to say or do. It started to bug her. “Look, I knew you weren’t going to say anything. It would be nice if the person who’s hired to ‘watch’ me would open up.”
Jun sighed and looked at her again, “I don’t like to think about my past. That’s all it is.” Then he sat back.
“How much has it affected you?” Mao was curious, but curiosity struck her.
Jun closed his eyes and decided to explain his story, “When it happened, I had nightmares for a year. I never said anything, not even to the psychiatrist. I was a rookie detective when Yukie and I met at 18. She was older…. 22 at the time.” The memories flooded back to him as he told the story. “She worked as a recruit for a private investigator and studied to get licensed. I fell in love with her, and she felt the same. We decided to move in when I was 19. Then, Chief had me working with Yukie on a case she was investigating. I remember we had no sleep on it, but it was nice to be in each other’s company for once instead of being separate all the time.” A quick flashback of being in front of the fireplace and coffee came to his mind. He smiled. Then, after a bit, he continued, “The case was tried in court, and it was the guilty verdict towards the defendant. We were so happy and celebrated. After that night, it was never the same. As we went back to our normal duties, I came home and Yukie was on the floor, lying in a pool of blood. She was strangled, cuts everywhere on her body and shot through chest. I dropped my bag and ran to her…. I was crying for hours. Shun, Shota, and Sho came by to visit, saw me hugging her and immediately called emergency back-up. They arrested me first because they thought I did it. When Chief saw me, he knew I didn’t and let me go. Plus, there was no evidence that pointed to me. I begged him to train me to be the best detective.” A tear rolled down his cheek. Mao noticed and brushed it away gently with her finger. He turned his whole body to face her, “This is why I’m known to crack cases easily.”
Mao took it all in slowly. She never realized that Jun was emotional, “I see why you never wanted to think about it.”
“When I was put on this case, I saw the picture in the file and I really didn’t want this case. You reminded me too much of Yukie, and I didn’t want to put myself through it again. The Chief explained I had no choice since I was chosen by your parents. So, when I first met you, we both didn’t have good impressions of each other.” Mao chuckled a bit and nodded. Jun smiled again, “Now, it’s great. I saw passed the whole similar face of Yukie and saw you for who you were.”
“Good. I was hoping you would because I was shocked she looked like me.” Mao blinked and uncrossed her arms.
“I could imagine. Now you know how I felt at the time.” He winked, “The problem now is that I think this whole case is linked to me and you. It’s not easy but I know it has to be someone who’s interacted with us.” His facial expression changed to seriousness.
Mao thought about it. What has she learned from her classes? “Well, basically, there has to be a motive or something about our backgrounds to cause all this….”
Jun took out a notebook and opened it up to a blank page, “Good thinking. Let’s write down the names of the people we know together.” He wrote down the names of all the people he knew in the Tokyo Police. After, he handed the notebook to Mao and wrote down the people she knew that knows about her and Jun. They compared the lists and had some similar names.

Another hour passes by…..

Mao’s stomach started to growl, “Hungry?” Jun grinned.
“Well, someone owes me dinner for not picking me up.” She commented.
“Oh yeah. I apologize. I forgot since we were talking. Is it ok to see what you have?” He got up and headed towards the kitchen.
“Yes. I hope it’s something yummy. Would you need some help?” Mao wanted to help so she could get to know Jun not as a detective but as himself.
“Sure… it maybe faster if the both of us do so.” He checked what she had and decided to make a pasta dish. “Could you cut up some of these vegetables as I start cooking?”
“Yes.” She took the vegetables he picked out of her refrigerator and began to wash them. Jun looked for a pot and large skillet. He found what he needed and waited for Mao to finish washing. She looked up at him and splashed a little bit of water.
He wiped his face w/ his shirt, “May I ask why you did that?”
“Cause…” She finished and then went over to the counter.
“Cause?” He began filling the pot w/ water.
“Oh…. Just start cooking…” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“I’ll get you back… just you wait…” He winked and smirked.
“Right…” she said sarcastically. He cooked a rigatoni dish with olive oil, cheese and various vegetables. Mao couldn’t wait to eat and setup on the table as he was finishing up. They ate dinner with a glass of wine. Mao realized Jun had a prestigious taste for not being rich. The way he handled his glass… the way the food was set on the plate…. He was detailed. It definitely comes with the job. After dinner, they put the plates into the sink to rinse and placed them in the dishwasher. Jun splashed Mao a couple of times and after a bit, she got annoyed. She took out the hose from the sink and sprayed him. He looked at her funny and tried to grab the hose. They were at it for about a couple of minutes. Then, Jun started chasing Mao around with a nearby spray bottle around the living room.
“I was dry from the shower… then you had to start this…” Jun shook his head as he was trying to grab her now.
“Hey, you kept splashing me. It was revenge!” Mao blurted out.
“I’m gonna get you….”
“No you won’t.” Mao ran into her bedroom and was about to shut the door till Jun barged in. She fell on the floor, and Jun tripped, landing on top of her while holding himself up. They both laughed because they were like little kids. Mao finally got to see Jun laugh and having fun. He wasn’t always the serious type.
Jun’s face became serious, though, “Oh my God. You ok?”
“Yes. Luckily we didn’t trip in the kitchen….” Mao looked at him intensely. Being close to him made her heart beat faster. Their lips were an inch apart. He noticed and stared deep into her eyes. Then, his heart began to beat fast….. ~ Crap… I should get up now, but... I want to… I have this need to kiss her…. ~
~ Is he staring at me? Does he notice I’m staring at him? ~ Mao seemed to be thinking the same thoughts.
Jun broke the silence, “Ummm…. I should get up now….”
“Yes… you are a bit heavier than me.” Mao responded and smiled. ~ Dammit… I should’ve just kissed him. ~ Jun got up and helped her up. They were still wet from the hose and spray bottle. “I will get us a towel.” She went into her bathroom while Jun waited for her. He put a hand to his chest and his heart was still beating quickly. The only other person who made him feel like that was Yukie. Was he really falling in love with Mao? He never thought he could. She came out and handed him a towel. They dried off a bit, and Jun bowed his head, “Thank you.”
“No problem. Maybe you should shower again….” Mao winked.
“Maybe… you should take one too.” Jun suggested. They looked at each other again and thought how nice it would be to shower with each other. They both turned away simultaneously. Mao was red as a tomato again while Jun was the same.
“Ummmmm…. How about I shower first and then you can go?” Mao decided.
“Sounds good. I should check my messages anyways….” Jun nodded and then quickly back to the living room. Mao locked the door and went into the bathroom, showering.

In the living room, Jun sat on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. His heart still didn’t slow down. The thought of Mao nude entered his mind. It seemed like a perverted thought but to him, it was deep. He really wanted to ‘feel’ Mao’s skin and kiss her lips. His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone went off. He quickly answered it without checking the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Jun. It’s Sho.” His tone seemed unusual to Jun.
“Good evening…. I received the package.” Jun explained.
“Good. Did you take a look at it further?” Sho seemed to be on his computer while talking to Jun.
“A little bit. I was very tired last night and moved all my items into Mao’s apartment today.” Jun sat back on the couch.
“Well well…. I guess I did go to the right apartment then.” Sho chuckled.
“You goof. You shouldn’t scare Mao like that. Why do you dress up like an old detective?” Jun chuckled as well.
“Oh be quiet. I wanted to be careful. There’s nothing wrong with it. Anyways, I should have called you which I apologize for. You know me… my work always makes me forget….” His tone was Sho again and wasn’t unusual.
“It’s true. Anyways, let’s get back to business. What else haven’t I seen?” Jun pulled out the paperwork from the package and checked it.
“Well, to add, it seemed I figured out a pattern. I’d have to explain if further later though.” Jun heard the shuffling of papers on Sho’s end.
“Hhhhhmmm…. I suspect it may be someone in our police force.” Jun asked.
“Why do you suspect someone from the police department?” This brought out Sho’s curiosity.
“I will tell you in person. There’s a lot to this I would have to discuss with you since you’re my electronics expert. We can setup a meeting for lunch or dinner.” Jun remembered the complexity of the bomb.
“That works. I will text or call you about it later.” He replied.
“Good. Look, I better go. I realized I need to report to Chief Abe today because he doesn’t know what’s going on.” Jun realized he hadn’t gone to the police station all day.
“All right. I will see you later. Don’t stay up too late.”
“I will not. Have a good night.” Jun smiled and disconnected the call. He stood up and sighed. It was an exhausting day, and it seemed his night would be the same. He picked up the notebook and looked at the names. ~ Rich, huh? Why go after Mao if the person is rich already? What’s really the motive? ~ Jun heard the door open and turned around. Mao was wrapped in a towel and hair was up in a towel as well. His facial expression changed to a super happy look. As this happened, he didn’t notice his crotch area was enlarged. Mao’s eyes widened and looked away quickly. He was wondering why and then felt odd. He looked down, covered it quickly with his hands and was mortified. He sat down quickly and put a pillow over it.
“I’m SO sorry, Mao-chan!” Jun shut his eyes.
“Don’t worry about it. Apparently, you haven’t seen a girl in a towel in a long time.” Mao decided to get him back for earlier about the shirtless guy comment.
“Oi….” He was trying to calm down and couldn’t believe that happened. Mao closed and locked the door. After 10 minutes, Jun’s enlarged area was down. Since he was embarrassed, he wrote on a note in his notebook and taped it to Mao’s door. Then, he picked up his jacket and left the apartment. Mao finished up and heard the front door close. She opened her door quickly and saw the note on the door. What it said:

Mao-chan,

I’m very sorry about that incident. It will not happen again. I will be out for a while. I need to report to the office and then research some more. If you feel lonely or something strange happens, text or call my cell phone. You can take a look at the package further if you’d like. You might recognize something I’m missing. Just be cautious. You may be a sleep when I get back tonight. Have a good night then. 

Sincerely,
Jun

~ I kinda like the fact you’re attracted to me though. It’s a nice feeling… ~ Mao held the note to her chest. ~ It smells like his cologne too. I don’t think I’ll be lonely tonight with this. ~ She went over to his laptop and package to check anything she might know. 

*******

Jun walked into the police station and directly headed over to Chief’s office. He had to be careful cause he suspected everyone for his case. The lights were on meaning Chief Abe was in. He knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Chief instructed. Jun opened the door and saw Chief Abe looking up from some paperwork. “Well, I was wondering when you were going to come in.”
“I apologize.” Jun bowed. “I was moving my stuff into Mao’s apartment.”
“What? You’re now going to live with her?” Chief seemed upset at the thought.
“After yesterday, I thought this would be better so I can keep a close watch on her. I forgot to inform you about it.” Jun continued bowing.
Chief sighed, “It’s fine if you think it’s good. I trust your judgment. I just hope nothing strange happens because of what happened to Yukie….”
“I know, sir. I’ve grown fond of Ms. Mao.” Jun leaned against the door.
“Oh? This is news to me.” He crossed his arms.
“Not in that way. Noooo… just she knows a lot about evidence and is very detailed.” Jun was denying his feelings because he didn’t want to express them in front of Chief Abe.
“Oh… I see. I thought you fell in love with her. I suspected it. That’s good then. So, she can be a little sidekick to you.” Chief was pleased.
Jun’s eyes lit at the word ‘love’. He was falling in love with her slowly, but he won’t admit it, “Yes. My thoughts exactly.” He scratched his head.
“Well, is there more to report?”
“I will write one out to you. I hope I can solve this quickly. It’s getting harder when I’m near the truth.” Jun was determined to catch the perpetrator.
“Good. I know the bomb incident was a scare to you… it was to me too because I have family that live in the area.” Chief turned his chair and looked at his shelf.
“Sir? I didn’t know that.” Jun took a mental note of it.
“Yes.” He looked at the time. “Ok, that is all for the night. I would like to see the report on my desk by tomorrow before the evening.”
“Yes sir!” Jun bowed and exited his office. He shrugged and went to his office to check if anything happened while he was gone. He went in and it stayed the same. Since he was spending time with Mao, he really haven’t had time for himself. He locked his door and sat on his chair. His desk was getting a bit dusty but he didn’t care. It was his office and time to piece all the clues together. He opened up a document on his computer and started typing each clue down.

- Phone tapping wire
- Bomb with a prototype motion device & same phone tapping wire
- The buildings used
- After the Inoues & trying to kidnap Mao 

The clues went on till it was the end of page one. Then, he heard a knock on the door and looked up to see a shadow waiting behind the other side….